EcoFlorida Best of Natural Florida Awards Winners

Where in Florida will you find the best of the best natural areas and outdoors experiences? That's the question we asked you in the summer issue, and now we're revealing your answers. Not all of our 25 categories are represented here; for the ones that are missing, there just wasn't a consensus. But here is what you did vote for. Thanks for nominating your favorite places! And thanks to our awards prize sponsors.

Best All-Around . . .

Beach—New Smyrna Beach. Many people are so passionate about their favorite beach that any beach nomination is likely to be hotly debated. But New Smyrna does offer a quiet, pretty, natural beach.

Nature Guide—Greg Pflug of Adventures in Florida. Greg promotes Leave No Trace ethics and takes nature travelers all across Florida as well as places like Mexico and the Smokey Mountains.

Place to hear the sounds of birds—Orlando Wetlands Park. A stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail's Bittern and Bobwhite Cluster, this park near the St. Johns River can be filled with the sound of migratory songbirds during the winter.

Natural place to take children—Silver Springs and Myakka River State Park (tie). These 2 very different places are both fun for children. Silver Springs offers a day at a spring-centered theme park, and Myakka offers visitor-friendly tours of the river and the trails.

Boardwalk—Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. A longtime favorite for many people, the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp leads visitors into the delicate cypress swamp habitat of southwestern Florida, offering good chances for seeing a variety of birds and wildlife.

Best Place for . . .

Paddling—Suwannee River. Way down upon the S'wannee River, you'll find people who love to canoe and kayak its 177 miles from the edge of Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico. Winding past small towns and farms, the river offers up its natural beauty.

Backpacking—Florida National Scenic Trail. Feel like going for a walk? How about walking just about the length of Florida? There are several primitive campsites along the Florida Trail.

Bird Watching—Dry Tortugas National Park. This park's remote location past Key West makes it the perfect place for migrating birds and pelagic birds to stop and rest. Get there by boat or by plane for some good birding.

Wildlife Watching—Everglades National Park. Whether it's Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm Visitor Center, the Ten Thousand Islands or on a trail in between, the Everglades is your favorite place to spot animals.

Watching the sun set—Cayo Costa State Park and Key West (tie). Cayo Costa a remote barrier island and Key West the end of the line, both are on the Gulf of Mexico and offer unimpeded views of the setting sun.

Best Scenery of a . . .

River—Suwannee River. People voted for this river yet again! Whether flanked by hills, cypress trees or wetlands, the Suwannee provides pretty views of the "original Florida" from the Okefenokee Swamp to the ocean. Hillsborough River was a close second.

Forest—Highlands Hammock State Park and Ocala National Forest (tie). Ocala preserves pine flatwoods and hardwood hammocks, as does Highlands Hammock. While the Ocala is definitely larger, Highlands Hammock is a wonderful pocket of preservation.

Wetland—Everglades National Park. The Everglades is the largest of wetlands and a huge draw for nature travelers, so it's not surprising that voters chose it for its variety of wetland scenery.

Prairie—Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. A large, open basin south of Gainesville, Paynes Prairie gives visitors the unique chance to see bison, scrub cattle and wild horses.